Parade 1974

Albert Irvin made 'Parade' with big, loose washes of paint and some colourful daubs across the top. I can almost see Irvin in his studio, pushing the paint around, letting it drip, wiping it away, then adding more. There’s a real sense of play here, of figuring things out as he goes along. The red dominates, but it’s not a simple red. It’s got all these undertones of pink and orange, like a sunset, or maybe a bruise. And those blobs of color up top? They feel almost like an afterthought, but they balance the weightiness of the red below, offering a release. The painting reminds me of the work of Gillian Ayres – that same love of color, that same sense of freedom. Ultimately, paintings like this remind us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists, across time, each one inspiring the next. It's not about having all the answers, but about embracing the questions and exploring the possibilities.